Number of Participants With Combined Endpoint of Death or Graft Loss or Fibrosis Score (FS) ≥ 2 [ Time Frame: 1 year post-transplant ] [ Designated as safety issue: Yes ]

The number of participants with combined end point of death or graft loss or presented with a Ishak-Knodell fibrosis score (FS) ≥2 was calculated. Graft loss was considered to have occurred when allograft was presumed to be lost if a patient had liver retransplant or died. Assessment of hepatic fibrosis was performed with liver biopsies read centrally. Ishak-Knodell FS was used to stage liver disease; 0=none; 1=portal fibrosis (some); 2=portal fibrosis (most); 3=bridging fibrosis (few); 4=bridging fibrosis (many); 5=Incomplete cirrhosis; 6=cirrhosis. Higher score indicates greater fibrosis.

Number of Participants With Fibrosing Cholestatic Hepatitis [ Time Frame: 1 year post-transplantation ] [ Designated as safety issue: No ]

Fibrosing cholestatic hepatitis (FCH) is characterized by progressive jaundice with a rapid decline in liver function leading to liver failure, most often associated with markedly elevated viral levels detected in the bloodstream (e.g. more than 20 times pre-liver transplantation levels) and in the liver tissue as well. The presence of FCH was reported based on the diagnosis given by the investigator.

Number of Participants With Death, Graft Loss, Death or Graft Loss, Graft Loss With Re-transplantation [ Time Frame: 1 year post-transplant ] [ Designated as safety issue: Yes ]

Graft loss was considered to have occurred when allograft was presumed to be lost if a patient had a liver re-transplant or died.

Treated acute rejection is defined as an acute rejection, clinically suspected, whether biopsy-proven or not, which has been treated and confirmed by the investigator according to the response to therapy. BPAR was defined as a treated acute rejection confirmed by biopsy. The local pathologist graded biopsies according to the Banff (1997) criteria. A sub-clinical rejection was defined as a rejection identified by center driven biopsy, i.e. a biopsy performed routinely at some pre-defined time points after transplantation as per center practice in the absence of any clinical signs of rejection.

Number of Participants With Combined Endpoint of Death or Graft Loss or Biopsy Proven Acute Rejection (BPAR) [ Time Frame: 1 year post-transplant ] [ Designated as safety issue: Yes ]

BPAR was defined as a treated acute rejection confirmed by biopsy. The local pathologist graded biopsies according to the Banff (1997) criteria. Graft loss was considered to have occurred when allograft was presumed to be lost if a patient had a liver re-transplant or died.

Number of Participants With Death or Re-transplantation Due to Recurrence of Hepatitis C Cirrhosis [ Time Frame: 1 year post-transplant ] [ Designated as safety issue: Yes ]

Cirrhosis was resulted due to the recurrence of the hepatitis C virus infection in the transplanted liver.

A Multicenter, Randomized, Open-label Study to Compare the Development of Liver Fibrosis at 12 Months After Transplantation for Hepatitis C Cirrhosis in Patients Receiving Either Cyclosporine Microemulsion or Tacrolimus

Brief Summary

Following a transplant for hepatitis C cirrhosis, the infection comes back in 70-90% of cases and over time causes fibrosis and eventually cirrhosis of the new liver. The aim of this study was to see if the frequency of liver fibrosis was different with cyclosporine microemulsion than tacrolimus

Initial dose of 10-15mg/kg/day either orally, via a nasogastric (NG) tube or intravenously (i.v.) within the first 24 hours post-transplantation.

Other Name: Neoral

Drug: Tacrolimus

Tacrolimus was administered within the first 24 hours post-transplantation at an initial dose of 0.1-0.15 mg/kg/day in 2 divided doses either orally or via a nasogastric (NG) tube or intravenously (i.v).

Study Arm (s)

Active Comparator: Cyclosporin A

The first administration of Cyclosporin A (CsA) was within the first 24 hours post-transplantation at an initial dose of 10-15mg/kg/day either orally, via a nasogastric (NG) tube or intravenously (i.v). Twice daily (b.i.d.) administration was maintained throughout the study period. During the study, the dose of CsA was adjusted, as necessary, to achieve and maintain the C2 or C0 blood CsA concentration within the target ranges.

Before enrolling the first patient, each center chose the adjunct immunosuppressive (IS) regimen between:

Steroids administered and tapered as per local practice

interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R) antagonists + mycophenolic acid (MPA): Induction with IL-2R antagonists; Dosages were as per center practice. Patients received mycophenolic acid (MPA) no later than 24 hours after reperfusion of the graft. Dosages were as per local practice.

The regimen selected by the center was to be given to all patients enrolled in the trial from this center.

Intervention: Drug: Cyclosporine A

Active Comparator: Tacrolimus

Tacrolimus was administered within the first 24 hours post-transplantation at an initial dose of 0.1-0.15 mg/kg/day in 2 divided doses (twice daily at 12-hour interval) either orally or via a nasogastric (NG) tube or intravenously (i.v). Twice daily (b.i.d.) administration was maintained throughout study period. Throughout the study, the dose of tacrolimus was adjusted as necessary to achieve and maintain C0 tacrolimus concentrations within target ranges.

Before enrolling the first patient, each center chose adjunct immunosuppressive (IS) regimen between:

Steroids administered and tapered as per local practice

interleukin-2 receptor (IL-2R) antagonists + mycophenolic acid (MPA): Induction with IL-2R antagonists; Dosages were as per center practice. Patients received mycophenolic acid (MPA) no later than 24 hours after reperfusion of the graft. Dosages were as per local practice.

The regimen selected by center was to be given to all patients enrolled in trial from this center.

Intervention: Drug: Tacrolimus

Publications *

Not Provided

* Includes publications given by the data provider as well as publications
identified by ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier (NCT Number) in Medline.